1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of diaper bags and more particularly to diaper bags capable of being converted and used as an infant hip carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
A copious variety of diaper bags and infant carriers exist on the market today. Such diaper bags normally include a shoulder strap that enables the bag to be carried over the shoulder or across the shoulder as the infant is held in the adult's arms. When carrying an infant long distances, such as in a park or in a retail store, it is common to place the infant in a carrier to assist the parent or guardian as he or she walks while carrying an infant or small child. There are a variety of carrier styles that provide several modes of carrying an infant or small child including in the front, on the hip, in a reclined position, or on the back of an adult.
Transporting an infant outside the home, often requires the parent or caregiver to bring along numerous items, such as diapers, a changing pad, wipes, extra clothes, food, and toys in addition to essential parent's or caregiver's valuables such as a wallet, keys, a cell phone, and the like. Trying to fit most of the child's and adult's belongings into a small pouch or pocket is impractical and at best inconvenient.
It is common to witness parents or caregivers juggle both a diaper bag and a carrier while getting tangled in multiple straps as they try to provide on-the-go care for their infant or small child. The result is that, many parents will either forgo the carrier or the diaper bag to simplify their journey outside the home. However, this is more of an unfavorable compromise than a solution.
Infants and small children are ‘high maintenance’ and leaving a diaper bag behind may result in ending an outing sooner than anticipated if for example, a child requires a new diaper, change of clothes, food, a favorite toy, etc. On the other hand, deciding to forgo or forgetting to bring a carrier can make it difficult to make a spontaneous trip to the mall, or a bookstore, or a short stroll on a beach or park because carrying an infant or small child is stressful on the back and arms without the assistance of a carrier especially when a stroller is not always practical such as on stairs, buses, airplanes, escalators, etc.
Furthermore, toddlers often wish to practice their newly acquired walking skills so a carrier device is not always needed, yet, the convenience of having a hip carrier right at ones finger tips is extremely useful.
What is needed is a diaper bag that selectively converts into an infant hip carrier without compromising access to various items stowed in the diaper bag.